PITTSBURGH — UPDATE 9:10 PM - President Trump picks Brett Kavanaugh as new US Supreme Court nominee replacing Anthony Kennedy.
A Pittsburgh-based judge on the United States Court of Appeal is considered a finalist for President Donald Trump’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Judge Thomas Hardiman sits on the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Third Circuit in Philadelphia, but he is based in Pittsburgh and resides in Fox Chapel.
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Hardiman was a finalist for the spot on the Supreme Court in 2017 that ultimately went to Judge Neil Gorsuch.
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Hardiman is also an adjunct professor at Duquesne's Law School.
His colleague Bruce Ledewitz believes those experiences could pay dividends on the nation's highest court.
"I think the reason he's such a good teacher is the same reason he's such a good judge and would be the same reason that he would be a very good Supreme Court Justice, he's a person you can have some confidence is trying to do what's best for the country," Ledewitz said.
The other reported finalists are Judge Amy Coney Barrett, Judge Brett Kavanaugh, and Judge Raymond Kethledge, all of whom serve as federal appeal court judges.
Hardiman is the only finalist, or current justice, who didn't attend Harvard or Yale.
University of Law School Dean Amy Wildermuth knows the court well after serving as a clerk for former Justice John Paul Stevens.
She believes that variety could be beneficial to the court.
"Having some folks who come from a different kind of background in terms of geography and in terms of life experiences, and especially educational experiences, can make a big difference," Wildermuth said.
Trump will announce his pick in a prime-time address at 9 p.m.
If confirmed by the Senate, the president’s nominee will replace Justice Anthony Kennedy, who announced his retirement from the court last month.